To CAFO or Not to CAFO
An interesting article in Amber Waves, a publication of the United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS) can be found here. The article is about how non-metropolitan counties with recreational areas such as state parks, lakes, etc., are the fastest growing counties in the the United States. Note particularly this statement: "For rural communities attempting to offset job losses from farming, mining, or manufacturing, capitalizing on the recreational appeal of an area may foster new economic development, helping retain or increase population." The ERS and Loyola Universtiy of Chicago designated 300 nonmetro counties as "recreation counties." Recreation counties typically include "... lakes, coastal locations, skiing, fishing, or general outdoor activity and scenic beauty." Casinos are sometimes a feature of recreation counties also.
CAFO's are not mentioned in the article, but one has to wonder about them, given that some people in Indiana think that CAFO's will be a significant source of economic growth for Hoosier non-metro counties. An article based on research from United States Dept. of Agriculture would suggest otherwise. It is sorto difficult to have a pristine recreational area--or even a casino--in the same vicinity as a CAFO. The last paragraph of the article should concern everyone on both sides of the CAFO issue.
"The population of nonmetro recreation counties has grown at a much higher rate than that of most other types of nonmetro counties. From 2000 to 2004, recreation county population grew by 5.2 percent, while the nonmetro population as a whole grew by 1.8 percent, reflecting considerable inmovement of people making permanent residences. Despite the presence of many service jobs that are low paying or only seasonal, every type of recreation county has somewhat higher median household income than the average for all other nonmetro counties. Recreation counties also have a distinctly higher share of adults who have a 4-year college degree or higher. Thus, these counties seem to have brighter economic prospects than many nonmetro counties that depend on traditional rural and small-town industries."
CAFO's are not exactly traditional industry, but the State Department of Agriculture's plans to double pork production in Indiana by increasing the number of CAFO's seems unlikely to attract people to the state or to improve the economies of nonmetro counties.